After a robbery, man was drenched in petrol somehow managed to save his life after his hotel was burned to ashes this morning.

The fire was controlled after fire appliances from Bay of Plenty were called to Kawerau at 3 a. m., but not much could be saved and the 70-metre long Pinelands Motor Hotel was inflated to ground.

It was later told that the robbers poured petrol over the owner of the hotel and demanded money. The firefighters found the owner near the burning building and they took him to the police station.

Also, it was known that Pinelands Motor Hotel closed at 2 a. m. and the staff left the place 15 minutes later. The Hawke's Bay truck driver said that while they were staying at the hotel overnight, they got alert by the fire alarm that screamed at around 3 a. m.

The eye witness said that however it seemed that the flames were rising from restaurant; nothing can be said for sure.

According to the Detective Sergeant, Ross Everest of Whakatane police, when the firefighters were called at 3 a. m., by the time they reached, the fire had spread along the building.

Mr. Everest said that as no reason as such has been found till now, Whakatane CIB was investigating the matter.